"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."
(Dale Carnegie)

True courage is sometimes more about small, everyday actions than about the hero stuff we see in movies. We aren’t often confronted with burning buildings or battlefields, but every day we have opportunities to practice courage in small ways.

Here’s an idea for a fun activity that’ll get the whole family putting on their brave faces and conquering their fears!

Gather the family together.

Each person makes a list of all the things they're afraid of. The kids’ lists might include things like spiders, going downstairs alone, monsters under the bed, eating broccoli, calling friends to invite them over to play, going down slides, the neighbor’s dog, etc. Mom and dad’s list might be things like talking to the boss, saying sorry, heights, swimming…monsters under the bed, eating broccoli, the neighbor’s dog (wink).

Share your lists with each other, and maybe talk a little bit about how life might be happier if you weren't afraid of those things.

Then, each person chooses one fear to face this week! Afraid of heights? Get up on a ladder (with the whole family down below as a safety net, just in case). Afraid of going downstairs in the dark? Gather around each other and go down together! Use the support of one another to help conquer your fears, and to have fun along the way.

Do it for the week or do it for the month! What fears will you conquer in the next 30 days?